Belt



July 2, 1963 H. F. BURNHAM 3,095,879

BELT Filed Jan. 23, 1957 INVENTOR wm E flaw #4 ATTO RN EY United States Patent F 3,095,879 BELT Harold F. 3urnham, Highland Park, N.J., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Johnson & Johnson, New Bruns- WlCk, N.J a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 635,767 8 Claims. (Cl. 128-291) This invention relates to belts for supporting and maintaming sanitary napkins in position and more particularly to sanitary napkin belts having features of construction and adjustability to provide a comfortable fit and ready adaptability to different sizes and to the requirements of individual wearers.

Conventional sanitary napkin belts consist generally of a waist-encircling band of flexible, usually elastic, fabric having depending front and rear members to which a sanitary napkin is attached. The depending members may be single lengths of elastic or inelastic fabric straps which are secured at their upper ends to the waist-encircling band and which have a buckle or pinning tab at their lower ends to which the napkin is attached. In another form, the depending members may consist of two downwardly converging straps joined to the waistencircling band at their upper ends and to each other at their lower ends at an angle to form a V-shape. Buckles or pinning tabs for attaching the napkin are provided at the junction of the straps.

The latter form of belt provides for two-point suspension of the napkin and makes the belt more comfortable to wear and more easily retained in position on the body of the wearer. When the belt is worn, the downwardly converging straps assume most of the forces imposed upon the belt, thus permitting the waist-encircling band to remain in position around the waist of the wearer without rolling or sliding down over the hips.

However, belts of this latter type available heretofore have not been simply and efiiciently adjustable, particularly the depending strap portions thereof to which the napkin is attached. It is desirable for sanitary napkin belts to be adjustable in view of the differences in physical dimensions of individual wearers. In addition, belts should be adjustable to suit individual preferences as to the position in which the belt is worn. Some women prefer to Wear a sanitary napkin belt high around the waist; in such cases, the depending straps must be lengthened. Other women prefer to wear it low down on the hips; this requires the depending straps to be shortened.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sanitary napkin belt which may be adjusted to various sizes and to suit the requirements of individual wearers.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a sanitary napkin belt having adjustable features of two point suspension for the napkin.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a sanitary napkin belt having a depending strap portion whose length may be adjusted by adjusting the length of the waist band.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a sanitary napkin belt having a downwardly converging depending strap part which also serves as a part of the belt which encircles the waist.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawing in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a belt incorporating the invention in position on the body of the wearer;

FIG. 2 illustrates the belt construction and also the downwardly converging position assumed by a strap part thereof when a napkin is attached; and

3,095,879 Patented July 2, 1963 FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the left buckle portion of FIG. 2.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a sanitary napkin belt which consists broadly of a waist strap adapted to extend part way around the waist of the wearer and a loop member slideably connected to the waist strap and in conjunction therewith completes encirclement of the waist of the wearer. In addition, a portion of the loop member is deformable downwardly into a V-shaped configuration when a napkin is attached to it. The extent to which that portion of the loop member deforms downwardly is determined by adjusting the length of the waist strap.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a belt I having an elongated waist strap 2 of flexible, preferably elastic, fabric which is of sufficient length to extend around the rear, sides and partly around the front of the waist of the wearer, but not to completely encircle it. The ends 3 of the waist strap are positioned in the front of the body of the wearer when the belt is worn and are adjustably attached to buckles 4 so that the waist strap may be lengthened or shortened by taking up on either or both ends. If desired, one end of the waist strap may be fixed securely to its buckle so that it is not adjustable and the other end left adjustable. A loop member 5 of fabric, which may be of the same material as that used for the waist strap, is connected to the buckles to which the ends of the waist strap are connected to complete encirclement of the waist. The loop member may be formed from a length of elastic webbing by overlapping the ends in alignment and sewing together. In its preferred form, as illustrated, the ends of the loop are joined at an angle to form a downwardly extending V.

The loop member is slidable in each buckle and when connected to the buckles forms overlying front strap 6 and rear strap 7 with the rear strap lying adjacent the body of the wearer when the belt is worn. If the loop is formed by aligning the joined overlapped ends, the front strap overlies the rear strap. If the ends are joined at an angle, as in FIG. 2, the front strap may hang slightly below the rear strap.

At the junction of the joined ends, the front strap may be provided with a depending fabric tab 8 with a clasp, pin, or other suitable napkin attaching device 9 for attaching the napkin to the belt. The rear of the waistband has a single depending strap 10 and napkin-attaching device, such as clasp 9, to which the rear end of the napkin is attached.

When the belt is worn with a napkin attached, the front strap 6 of the loop member is pulled downwardly into a V-shaped configuration in the manner illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 2. The rear strap of the loop member lying adjacent the body remains substantially in position with respect to the waist strap and, in conjunction therewith, constitutes the part of the belt which encircles the waist. Most of the forces imposed upon the belt when it is used are assumed by the front strap of the loop member to which the napkin is attached, thereby permitting the waist strap to remain in position without substantially rolling or sliding down over the hips.

A conventional buckle such as that consisting of three spaced vertical posts or bars joined at their upper and lower ends by horizontal connecting bars may be used to connect the waist strap and loop member together. The three spaced bars form two parallel slots through which the ends of the waist strap are threaded. The loop member is passed around an end post. Preferably, a buckle 4 of the type illustrated in FIG. 3 is used. The buckle is essentially of conventional form except that the top end of the inside end post 11 is not connected to the center post by an upper horizontal bar and thus is in the form of a hook or prong. By using a buckle of this type, the loop member may be formed and sewn beforehand and then attached to the buckles by slipping over the hook or prong. The center vertical post 12 of the buckle around which the end of the Waist strap is looped may have teeth 13 forsecurely engaging the end of the waist strap.

Asnoted above, the rear strap 7 of the loop member together with the waist. strap 2 forms the part-of the belt which encircles the waist of the wearer. Since the loop member is slideably connected to the buckles, the length of. the rear strap and the length of the front strap may be increased or decreased. If the ends 3' of the waist strap 2 are fixed in the buckles, and the length of the waist strap thereby also fixed, increasing the length of the rear strap 7 of the loop member. increases the overall length of the part of the belt which encircles the waist. At the same time, the length of the front strap 6 is correspondingly decreased, also decreasing the extent to which it will extend downwardly when a napkin is attached.

By adjusting the length of the waist strap 2, as by adjusting the position of an end 3 of the belt in'a buckle 4, it is also possible to adjust the extent to which the front strap 6 of the loop member extends downwardly. If, for example, because of the physical dimensions of the wearer or because of the wearers preference, it is desired to have the front strap of the loop member extend downwardly a great distance, the length of the waist strap is increased, thereby decreasing the length of the rear strap of the loop member necessary to complete encirclement of the waist of the wearer in conjunction with the waistband. Alternatively, if it is desired to Wear the belt with the front strap extending downwardly only a short distance, the length of the waist strap is decreased, thereby requiring an increase in the length of the rear strap of the loop member to again provide suflicient length for encirclement of the waist ofthe wearer.

The above described sanitary napkin belt is simple, comfortable and easy and economical to manufacture. It is apparent that changes may be made in the above described structure without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the napkin may be attached to the rear strap, instead of the front strap of the loop member, thus reversing the function of each part.

What is claimed is:

1. A sanitary napkin belt comprising a waist stnap adapted to extend around the rear and sides of the waist of a wearer with the ends thereof spaced from each other on the front of the waist so that the strap does not encircle the waist, the spaced ends of said waist strap being attached to length-adjusting'devices so that the size of the said strap may be adjustedv on the Waist of the wearer, a loop member of fixed length slideably connected to said devices and forming front and rear straps, one of said straps extending downwardly in a V-shaped configuration, and means on said downwardly extending strap and on therear of said belt for attaching a napkin.

2. A sanitary napkin belt comprising a flexible waist stnap adapted to extend around the rear and sides of the waist of the wearer with the ends thereof spaced from each other on the front of the Waist so that the strap does not encircle the waist, the spaced ends of said waist strap being adjustably attached to buckles so that the size of the said strap may be adjusted on the waist'of the wearer, a loop member of fixed length slideably connected to said buckles and forming front and rear straps, one of said straps being downwardly deformable into a V-shaped configuration when attached to a napkin, the other of said straps forming, in conjunction with said Waist strap, the waist encircling portion of said belt, the extent to which said strap deforms downwardly being adjusted by adjusting the length of the waist strap, and means on said downwardly deformable strap and the rear of said belt for attaching a napkin.

3. A sanitary napkin belt comprising a flexible waist strap adapted to extend around the rear and sides of the waist of the wearer with the ends thereof spaced from each other on the front of the waist so that the strap does not encircle the waist, the spaced ends of said waist strap being attached to buckles, the length of said strap being adjustable so that the size of the said strap may be adjusted on the waist of the wearer, a loop member of fixed length slideably connected to said buckles and form ing front and rear straps, said front strap extending, downwardly in a V-shape, said rear strap and said waist strap forming the waist encircling portion of said belt, and means on said front strap andon the rear of said belt for attaching -a a napkin. e

4. A sanitary napkin belt comprising a waist strap adapted to extend around the rear and sides of the waist of awearer with the ends thereof spaced from each other on the front of the waist so that the strap does not encircle the waist, the spaced ends of said waist strap being attached to buckles, the length of said strap being adjustable sothat the size of'the said strap may be adjusted on the Waist of the wearer, an elastic loop member of fixed length slideably connected to said buckles and forming front and-rear straps, said front strap extending downwardly in a V-shape, and means at the apex of the V and on the rear of said belt for attaching a napkin- 5. A sanitary napkin belt comprising a flexible Waist strap adapted to extend around the rear and sides of the waist of a wearer with the ends thereof spaced from each other on the front of the waist so that the strap does not encircle the waist, the spaced ends of said waist strap being adjustably attached to buckles whereby the length of said waist strap may be altered, a flat, elastic loop member of fixed length slideably connected to said buckles and forming substantially overlying front and rear straps, means on said front strap and on the rear of said belt for attaching a napkin, said front strap being downwardly deformable in a V-shape .when a napkin is attached thereto.

6. A sanitary napkin belt comprising a waist strap adapted to extend around the rear :and sides of the waist of the wearer with the ends thereof spaced from each other on the front of the Waist so that the strap does not encircle the waist, at least one end of said waist strap being adjustably attached to a buckle so that the size of the said strap may be adjusted-on the waist of the wearer, a moveable loop member of fixed length slidably connectedto the ends of said waist strap and forming front and rear straps, one of said straps being downwardly deforinable into a V-shaped con-figuration when attached to a napkin, and means on said one of said straps and on the rear of said belt for attaching 'a napkin.

7; A sanitary napkin belt comprising a waist strap adapted to extend around the rear and sides of the waist of the wearer with the ends thereof spaced from each other on the front of the waist so that the strap does not encircle the waist, the length of said Waist strap being adjustable so that the size of the said strap may be adjusted on the waist of the wearer, a moveable loop member of fixed length sl-idably connected to the ends of said waist strap and forming'front and rear straps, one of said straps being downwardly deformable into a V-shaped configuration when attached to a napkin, and means on said one of said straps and on the rear of said belt for attaching a napkin.

8. A sanitary napkin belt comprising a waist strap adapted to extend around the rear and sides of the waist of the wearer with the ends thereof spaced from each other on the front of the waist so that the strap does not encircle the waist, the length of said waist strap being adjustable so that the size of the said strap may be adjusted on the Waist of the wearer, a loop member of fixed length slideably connected to the ends of said Waist strap and forming front and rear straps, one of said straps being downwardly deformable into a V-shape configuration when attached to a napkin, the other of said staps forming, in conjunction with said waist strap, the Waist encircling portion of said belt, the extent to which said strap deforms downwardly being adjusted by adjusting the length of the waist strap, and means on said downwardly deformable strap and the rear of said belt for attaching a napkin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wales Sept. 7, 1886 Humphrey Dec. 15, 1903 Johnson July 21, 1914 Friedman Feb. 8, 1927 Ferstl Mar. 6, 1928 Kelly July 11, 1933 Lesselbaum Aug. 13, 1940 Berger Jan. 26, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 27, 1949 

1. A SANITARY NAPKIN BELT COMPRISING A WAIST STRAP ADAPTED TO EXTEND AROUND THE REAR AND SIDES OF THE WAIST OF A WEARER WITH THE ENDS THEREOF SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ON THE FRONT OF THE WAIST SO THAT THE STRAP DOES NOT ENCIRCLE THE WAIST, THE SPACED ENDS OF SAID WAIST STRAP BEING ATTACHED TO LENGTH-ADJUSTING DEVICES SO THAT THE SIZE OF THE SAID STRAP MAY BE ADJUSTED ON THE WAIST OF THE WEARER, A LOOP MEMBER OF FIXED LENGTH SLIDEABLE CONNECTED TO SAID DEVICES AND FORMING FRONT AND REAR STRAPS, ONE OF SAID STRAPS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY IN A V-SHAPED CONFIGURATION, AND MEANS ON SAID DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING STRAP AND ON THE REAR OF SAID BELT FOR ATTACHING A NAPKIN. 